Germany before & after WW1

what was the overall German attitude towards WW1 before it started?

the German people had high morale and were eager to win the war - as an only recently unified country, Germany was enthusiastic about demonstrating its power and legitimacy to other countries.

what was the attitude many germans subscribed to to explain how they lost the war?

The stab in the back myth

Many Germans felt that they could’ve and should’ve won the war, but didn’t because of ‘November criminals’ who decided that Germany was going to surrender, like those who signed the Armistice agreement. This idea was pushed by military generals such as Ludendorff and Von Hindenburg to take off blame from themselves.

what were the physical consequences of WW1 on germany?

• Germany was only producing 50-60% of the dairy that it had prior to WW1

• 3 million people died of starvation and disease

• Germany couldn’t import food because of the naval blockade that Britain had on German ports

what were some of the political consequences of WW1 on Germany?

• the Parliament was further weakened by the war

• democracy crumbled even more because of the war

Overall, how did Germans feel after the war?

German people felt angry, betrayed by their own government and eager to get revenge on the Allied powers and those who prevented them from winning.